מֶסוֹרָה | Mesorah - Tradition, That Which is Transmitted

As Jews, we know our existence and resilience over thousands of years comes from the strength of the collective and its commitment to deep care. While we have grown stronger in our resistance to systemic oppression, we have also perpetuated it within our own relationships and communities. We draw from the ancestral wisdom of our holy texts, rituals, and practices to prevent and respond to the harm perpetrated within and by our community. We honor and build upon the work that has sustained intentional communities like Kavod for generations, both inside and outside the Jewish world.

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כָּבוֹד הָבְּרִיוֹת | Kavod Ha’briyot - Honoring Human Dignity 

We believe that each of us is inherently valuable. We name and address differences in power in cases of interpersonal harm. We resist the either/or thinking between victims and perpetrators in a world where we all simultaneously experience and enact oppressive behaviors. We reject a widespread culture of alienation, punishment, and disposability, and work toward one of relationships, connection, and courage. Our accountability processes embrace the complexities of who we are, while upholding dignity, agency, and consent.

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תוֹכֶחָה | Tochecha - Loving Critique

We honor and practice loving critique because love is critical to liberation. As our holy texts teach us, love without ongoing self-evaluation is no love at all. We give ourselves permission to consider conflict a generative opportunity for deep learning because we know that love is not enough to break down lifelong patterns of oppressive behavior, both as individuals and as a community. We believe Kavod’s loving foundation will hold us as we confront internal conflict, disrupt the status quo, and commit to accountability for a freer future.

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כֹּל ישְׂרָאֵל עָרֵבִים זֵה בָּזֵה | Kol Yisrael Arevim Ze Ba Zeh - Responsiblility for One Another

We believe that accountability is both a communal obligation and a sacred opportunity to practice for the world as it should be. Commitment to community means a commitment to recognizing and acting on our collective responsibility to address and prevent harm. We draw on our strengths and resources to support those who have been harmed. We work to remove material and emotional barriers that often stand in the way of taking accountability. We also commit to fostering spaces where individuals can bravely reflect on and transform internalized, interpersonal, and institutionalized ways of perpetuating harm within and by way of Kavod.

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הִשְׁתָדְלוּת | Hishtadlut - Personal Work

We hope that our values-driven culture, bolstered by our formal accountability structures, help create the conditions for transformation to flourish in our community. When personally invited into processes of accountability, each of us is individually called upon to authentically engage in the work however possible. We recognize that even under the most favorable circumstances, total healing & repair is never a guarantee. We hope, however, that all who choose to engage in the process find within it inherent value, because when we wholeheartedly commit to the messiness of the work, we can unlock the potential for radical change.

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נֶצָח | Netzach - Endurance

We appreciate that the road to communal and personal transformation is a long one, extending well beyond the timeline of any individual accountability process. We commit to remaining steadfast on that journey in partnership with one another. Harm is built over time, and the work to repair harm will, too, take time. We divest from a success/failure binary & from expectations of quick “results”. Instead we invest in supporting sustainable change over our lifetimes and throughout future generations of our beloved community.